Wendy Fleming wins our travel writing competition this week, with this
snapshot of a gently paced break in Orkney.

'We call him Billy Whizz,” sighs Sweyn as we come to a standstill behind a farmer moving sheep from one field to another in the Orkney countryside. “It’s ironic.”

For Sweyn, getting stuck behind sheep is an almost daily irritation, but for me it’s a welcome moment of calm after the fury of the Fringe festival in my hometown of Edinburgh. Spotting their new home, the sheep bound into a field thick with lush grass and purple heather to begin exploring.

Green fields dominate the landscape on Orkney’s mainland, and with few trees you can see the sea from almost any angle. On a cloudy day, the rugged hills play out a wonderful drama and when the sun shines the water twinkles.

A wave of thanks from Billy and we are our way to see if we can catch the last of the puffins before they leave the Orkney shores. As the old MG rattles around the twisty single-track roads we are watched by yet more sheep and proud, strong cattle. These tremendous beasts dominate the landscape in many ways but have made way for the windmills that have begun to emerge across the Orcadian skyline.

We hunker down on the cliff edge and breathe in the ocean air while watching birds swirl above our heads. Sweyn warns us to keep an eye out for the Great Skua, known locally as the Bonxie, who is known to dive bomb humans to protect its young. I think Sweyn might have had a bad experience once, but decide not to mention it.

Sadly there are no puffins, but we can see another birdlike creature in the distance – the Wello Penguin. Not an actual bird, but rather one of six or seven tidal devices Sweyn tells us are being tested on the island. From our perch we can see the waves that have built up over the Atlantic crashing in on the shore, and it is easy to see why the island is being identified as one of the world’s best tidal resources. The power isn’t just seen, but felt.

Back in the car, eyes stinging from the wind, we explore the settlement of Skara Brae and the Standing Stones of Stenness that date from 3100BC, just two of many Neolithic World Heritage sites on the island.

There are strong reminders of Viking culture too, not only in the place names and sites but in the names of the residents too – Sweyn, Erland, Magnus and Thorfinn are just some examples of common Norse origin names on the island.

Though both Scottish and Norse influences are evident, the vast majority of residents consider themselves to be purely Orcadian. If I were from this wonderful island, I imagine I would happily consider myself that, too.

Our boat doesn’t leave until lunchtime, but we’re back in the car by 10am to head down to catch it. I inquire why we’re leaving so early. “We might see Billy,” smiles Sweyn.

Enter the next round

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